Tourists who have travelled to Portugal and rented a car may find themselves receiving a letter from the Euro Parking Collection (EPC) agency if they’ve driven through a toll road without paying.
Despite how it may look at first, letters from EPC are NOT a scam!
Due to the admin required to process and send these notices, you may find your fine is posted a considerable amount of time after the violation was made. These fines unfortunately still apply even after years have passed. These fines do not expire!
Our advice…
If you receive a letter from EPC, we recommend you pay the fine. EPC fines often take place when the rental company are unable to take payment for the toll fees from the customer’s card. We understand that this not ideal but paying as soon as possible ensures fines don’t increase or legal action isn’t taken.
If you think the fine is unfair or incorrect in any way, make a dispute with the Euro Parking Collection and await further replies or correspondence.
How do I pay for tolls roads when travelling to Portugal in future?
On some roads manual payment is available and it is possible to pay toll by cash or card. However, in most cases toll road fees are paid automatically with a toll transponder so we recommend you arrange this for your trip. Before booking your rental car, you will have the option to add a locally paid toll transponder.
For more information, read our Portugal toll roads guide. If you’re travelling to the Algarve specifically, we have a blog on how to avoid the Algarve toll roads with alternative routes listed.
We’re here to help at Zest
When you rent a car with us, you can be assured that we’re here for assistance for every step of the rental. Contact us if you ever need guidance on how to pay for tolls, prevent any extra charges, and have an overall stress-free car rental experience!
